I was in Wellington during the April school holidays so took a bus up to the Dowse to check out From Pressure to Vibration – The Event of a Thread, curated and featuring work by Emma Fitts. It was a multi-layered celebration of textile themes including history, conceptual art, archival studies, traditional craft and architecture. In other words, a Big Deal. I was so lucky to catch this!

The concept is this. Fitts has unearthed a spectacular archive of textile art held by the Dowse, and what an archive it is. She’s organised these works according to some of the guiding principles used at the Bauhaus school of design: pressure, pricking, rubbing, pain, temperature and vibration.Then, combining the role of artist and curator, Fitts has woven her own large scale, newly created architectural panels throughout the older works, also based on these principles.

She’s given us a heady brew of history, craft and industry. I’ll break it down by the same Bauhaus categories Fitts has used to categorise her archical selections.

1. Pressure: architecture​Judy Patience’s impressive large-scale weaving was the winning entry in the 1974 design competition for the Dowse’s entrance foyer. Now, personally, I often find the 1970s slightly hard work, with a recurring tendency of too much of everything. But I can see in Patience’s piece the perfect antidote, then as now, to the overwhelming architectural environment of concrete, steel and glass. Its textured lines and angular pattern-pockets reflect and enrich the space it was designed to inhabit. The vibrant pops of colour woven three dimensionally over an olive background sings the very best of the decade which brought me up. I find it an unbridled joy.

Judy Patience, Wall Hanging, 1974. Wool, Brass

Judy Patience, Wall Hanging, 1974. Wool, Brass (detail)

2. Pricking: modernismLoom weaving increased in popularity in Aotearoa in the 1950’s and 60’s where cottage industries where rife and sophisticated domestic products came out of numerous spinners and weaver’s guilds across the country.

For Margery Blackman and Judy Patience the German American textile artist Anni Albers, who headed the Bauhaus weaving workshop (taking over Gunta Stolzl in 1931) had a significant influence. Her books, On Designing (1959) and On Weaving (1965), highlighted weaving as a mode of modern design. Albers was the first designer to have a one person exhibition at the Museum of modern art in New York in 1949, making her one of the most important designers of the day. The exhibition travelled to 26 museums in the US and Canada.

​But it is impossible to talk about New Zealand textile art without also talking about the rich craft, skills and culture of raranga: Maori weaving. Margery Blackman has done a vast amount of work analysing and documenting western European and Maori weaving practices. Fitts’s inclusion of Blackman’s imposingly large work From Aramoana (1981) is a fitting tribute to this research.

The work itself was created in protest in the 1980s when Muldoon’s government tried (and failed) to build an aluminium smelter at the tiny, coastal Otago village of Aramoana. But “aramoana” has another meaning, more evident here: it’s one of the names given to the taniko panels that adorn the walls of wharenui. Literally, it means pathway to the ocean.

It’s hard to think of many examples which so artfully and subtly blend the multitudinous voices of tikanga Maori with western art practice.

3. Rubbing: fibre art​Joan Calvert and Zena Abbot’s work from the 1960s and 70s is exemplary of the widespread growth of sculpture across all mediums at that time. Whether it was because representational painting had reached the end of its tether, or whether it was some new-found freedom the art world found in the third dimension, who knows? But the work of both these artists is highly sculptural, and very free.

Joan Calvert is quoted as saying “I prefer to work in a spontaneous manner, knowing initially the atmosphere or feeling I wish to create but not altogether how I am going to achieve it”. That intuitive approach is clearly evident in 3D Form.

Joan Calvert, 3D form, 1975. Wool, fibre, plastic.

Zena Abbot also pushed the boundaries of textile weaving as an art form. Her work Roving plays on little known etymologies of the word itself. Roving can not only mean to wander, it is also a twisted bundle of fibre, and – as a verb – another word for spinning fabric. ​Zena Abbot was an influential weaver in New Zealand, inspiring many through her workshops and weaving business.

Zena Abbott, Roving, 1977. Sisal, rope.

4. Pain: story-tellingAnyone who knows me knows that I’m keen on this idea. My interest in the interplay of text and textile goes back to my childhood diaries and doodles. So it’s pretty damn exciting for me to see this idea reflected on a large scale in an exhibition like this. And yes, I like the matching. Story telling can hurt!

This part of the show – for me – lay heavily in the hands of Fitts as curator.​Four traditional woven pieces: a kete, a platter, a bottle and a cylindrical basket sit elegantly pinned to the stark white gallery wall. Their artistry and meticulous crafting much in evidence. In a few deft curatorial strokes, Fitts brings their significance to life:

In a show overflowing with narratives, it seemed fitting that the section devoted to “story-telling” should trace back to the fundamentals of the sacred, the ancestral and the living.

Erenora Puketapu-Hetet. Kete Pingau, 1983

Ruth Castle, Platter, 1995

Ruth Castle, Cane bottle, Cylindrical basket, 1995

5. Temperature: textile industryTextile and industry have always had a close relationship. In fact, the industrial scale of textile production is precisely a function of the importance of textiles in human life. It’s all very well to enthuse over beauty, but textiles need industry to do their job. And indeed, it is largely around the use of raw textiles in the industry that has caused this terrible leap into the toxic issues we face today.

Fitts has used this paradigm to display the wide range of weaving techniques of Wellingtonian Sheila Reinan, with a large range of samples spanning the years 1980 – 2005. Through her own commentaries, Fitts contextualises Reinan’s artisanal craft with the commercial craft of the Petone Woollen Mill. Closing in 1968 after almost a century, the mill thrived on the skills and knowledge of hundreds of women, a lot of them immigrants who’d learned their skills in the mills of the UK.

Reimann started on a small table loom in 1980, ultimately graduating to a 48 inch Sunflower floor loom, specializing in scarves, shawls and throw rugs, working with colour structure and texture and often dyeing her own yarn.

The hand loomed pieces on display in this exhibition are exquisite examples of a range of techniques. Reimann’s later works incorporated unwoven areas with woven, and by using differential shrinkage from washing she developed the corrugated and bubble effects that became her signature style.

Fitts quotes Reimann:“It seems to me that the history of the world can be seen through cloth. In today’s ‘throw-away’ society, with so much mass-produced cloth available, I feel that handmade cloth provides a link with that past… and its unique blend of mathematics and art.”

6. Vibration: RarangaFrom the pressure of architecture to the vibration of Raranga. While it’s impossible to talk about Aotearoan textiles without talking about raranga, it’s equally meaningless to consider raranga – or any textiles – outside of the context of applied arts. Some people get a bit sniffy about crafts. But within tikanga Maori, the traditions of raranga are awe-inspiring in their holistic approach.

​The woven hieke (rain capes) of Whiona Epiha and Philpa Devonshire are high examples of a traditional practice which has been passed down orally by generations of women for many centuries.

And since the very word “curate” means “to preserve”, Fitts has done well to let these traditional works speak for themselves.

Waiwhetu weaver Erenora Puketapu-Hetets works are made using taniko a weaving technique. The text that features on the cones reads:E ara ra, Eoho (to stir and wake up):Maranga (to get up, new opportunity):Kokiri (to advance and move forward on a number of fronts);Iwi, te tai, tu tangata (for people to be upstanding and proud)Puketapu-Hetets is quoted "I enjoy pushing the boundaries as I am certain many weavers of the past did. I enjoy the freedom to make statements about current issues that affect our Maori people. Weaving is a vehicle to reflect my views, my thinking, my feelings. The weavings reflect our Tupuna, our Iwi, Hapu and Whanau which is an essential part of my being"

7. Pressure to vibration: Emma FittsFitts’s works were the only ones in the show that were not archival (whether or not they are now, I don’t know). Extraordinarily large, even by textile art standards, giant panels of felted wool, some with overlaid patterns of fabric taken from Bauhaus designer Lilly Reich’s dresses, they hung from the ceiling and curved their way through the galleries, both connecting and dividing the six Bauhaus-inspired zones.

Why Bauhaus? The German art school of the 1930s still has much to offer textile design, art and business. The reason why - again – is precisely because textiles and business are inextricably linked.Fitt’s exhibition provided a welcome moment of brilliant illumination amid an industrialised reality where brands carry more value than quality, and the cheaper the better.

I hope I do this show justice it deserves. I have had to leave a few textile pieces out of this blog, as the need for some brutal editing was required! This exhibition has certainly pushed a few buttons in me.......so watch this space for the next blog.

Also, thanks to my bestie, JL, for all his help with editing my ramblings.​

Maddie Gifford and I recently co-curated an exhibition called Embedded, which opened last week and runs until the 28th May at Corbans Estate Art Centre.This blog is a bit of a rundown on what's in it, and why. I wanted to archive the show, and our thinking around it. So I've also borrowed some of Maddie's texts from the gallery notes.​We invited a diverse selection of contemporary New Zealand artists whose work in textiles is evocative and nostalgic, reflecting traditional notions in textiles and mixing this with more conceptually charged work.

We were drawn to the way textiles can elucidate the past and our relationship to it. Memories are a big part of it. Yet textiles are often taken for granted in our everyday lives. We wanted to highlight that poignancy.

Pip Steel’s meticulously crafted coverlet, Passage of Time, is directly influenced by traditional Japanese textile methods and the cultural concept of mottainai (the idea of something, in this case, material, being too valuable to waste), Steel has recycled old Japanese indigo dyed cotton, hemp and kasuri woven cloth.

A simple running hand-stitch named sashiko, using special cotton threads forms the intricate patterning. The sashiko technique is uniquely understood as not being about the end product, but the stitching process, while thinking of someone, or one’s self. In Steel’s case, Passage of Time became a metaphor for the repair and enhancement of a mother and teenage-son relationship.

Nalani Gloor's stunning Macrame works are evocative of the artist’s personal memories of re-settling in different countries and cities throughout her life, her macramé practice, a skill lovingly taught by her mother, was Gloor’s way of grounding herself in each new home. Embodying a sense of comfort and nostalgia, the carefully crafted collection symbolises how she has found a sense of belonging through creating, and the importance of textiles and fibre art practice in this process. ​​

Gina Ferguson’s knitted pieces are socially charged through her interest in socio-cultural discourse, gender and enriching personal narratives.​​Shift is made from felted sheep's wool and was originally shown at the Headland Sculpture on the Gulf, as a long knitted path. Now folded into its current hay-bail-like form, it still speaks strongly of rural connotations and our heritage around the New Zealand wool industry.

​Alongside this, Fergusons tiny Bootees have been delicately crafted using the unusual and personal material - human hair. ​This brings to light the interiority of memory and the domestic milieu. We’re immediately drawn to the fragility, intimacy, and sentimentality of these objects. ​​​​

Gina Ferguson: Shift

Gina Ferguson: Knitted bootees

Annie Mackenzie learnt directly from an older generation of weavers, ensuring the weaving skillset is passed hand to hand, and weaver to weaver. In this way, the memory of a long history of making is embedded in every textile she weaves.

​Mackenzie’s work demonstrates a thoughtful narrative exploring memories in the cloth pieces through the use of recycled textiles, conversations sparked during the very practice of weaving, and memories of domestic objects taken into new contexts.

The slate path rag rug, gives a nod to times past when it was common to make do on scarce means. The crazy-paving sketch is made with an old discarded woolen top, knotted through an old coffee sack, flipped unconventionally to reveal it's usually concealed underside.

Ella is formed using the weaving technique used in netting or sack-making, yet transformed when hung on the gallery wall. Its delicate and fine threads, loosely woven, speak of tradition and skill that are centuries old.

Annie MacKenzie: Slate Path and Ella

Annie MacKenzie: Ella (detail)

Annie MacKenzie: Slate Path (detail)

Audrey Boyles Flower Power takes over 6 metre long wall in the gallery space, creating a series of wild vine like forms. The twisty squiggly wire structures are covered in unique vintage styles of fabric, each chosen to echo memories of the fashion worn by Boyle's maternal lineage and which are also reminiscent of her own childhood, learning the skills from these women to craft and sew.​This is further imbued from a photograph of Boyle's late-great uncle William standing amongst a bed of vibrant, hand painted flowers; the guns sewn into the snake-like structures are a nod to his passing in the First World War and Boyle’s tragic family history.

Flower Power as its seen here,is an extraction of a much larger volume of 80+ vines that Boyle made for the 2016 Harbour View sculpture trail.

Audrey Boyle: Flower Power

Audrey Boyle: Flower Power

Genevieve Packer's blinds, An Alternative View, fit snuggly into the homestead gallery windows making a bold ornate statement about the changing nature of our urban landscape and link us to the past. Bringing the outside in, we are reminded of the rise in high density housing and how we become further removed from our quarter acre section heritage and native fauna and flora. The pattern is created through the removal/absence of material referencing domestic net curtains.

One long length of laser-cut felt is placed within an entire window frame, while three smaller pieces fill the spaces at the top of the remaining windows of the Corban Homestead, evoking memories of its domestic beginnings before becoming a gallery space.

​The site-specific installation encompasses the collective memory of a nation by providing a romanticized, New Zealand-centric link to the past.

Packer's textile pieces combine an obsession with surface pattern design and an exploration of the national identity and material culture of New Zealand.

Accompanying the window installation are Packer's Prefab bricks. Stacked neatly in the gallery space, as if laying the foundations to a temporary dwelling, these building blocks make a bold statement about the patterns that surround us in our everyday lives. The bricks have been skillfully stitched from different hand printed fabrics, evoking an array of house related textures and patterns. ​

Genevieve Packer: An Alternative View

Genevieve Packer: An Alternative View

Genevieve Packer: Prefab

Lastly in Gallery 2, is my own work, an installation called Social Fabric.

This is part of an ongoing project, which first started during my MA in Textiles at Goldsmith's College, at the University of London.

For me, fabric ignites a violent mash-up of warm nostalgia and and brutal commerce. Much of the fabric industry is obscenely wasteful, and the insatiable demand for cheap clothing entrenches clothing workers in low pay and dangerous conditions.

But despite this grim provenance, fabric is at the heart of who we are. Humans use cloth to swaddle newborns, protect and adorn themselves, and shroud the dead. Fabric plays such a prominent role in our lives, it is - ironically - practically invisible.

I sent around 50 participants each a fabric sample to provoke a short written anecdote. As the stories came back, I felt an enormous sense of value these fabrics give us and to remember the life that our clothes have enabled, both for the wearer and the maker.

I then applied these handwritten words to my silk screens, and used them to print new designs. Further entangling my obsession with text and textile while at the same time referencing the commercial world of fabric and fabric design.

Katie Smith: Social Fabric installation

Katie Smith: Social Fabric installation

Katie Smith: Social Fabric installation

So after some time in the world of commercial textiles and design, it was a refreshing shot in the arm to be able to think about fabric simply as fabric.

Welcome to my lastest + last blog on the theme: Spaces and Places. Celebrating some of the creative bricks and mortar spaces that stock my textiles amongst other gorgeous products and dig a little deeper to find out what and who make these places so distinct.

I've been talking to the Maddie Gifford, from the CEAC gallery shop, a place very close to my heart as you can imagine. If you have visited the shop you'll agree its one of the best places to buy cards and NZ Art + Design homewares and accessories in West Auckland! If you haven't visited yet, hopefully you will soon.

Hi Maddie, how long have you been in charge of the CEAC'S gallery shop?I have been at Corbans for eighteen months now, originally beginning as the Curatorial Intern as part of my Honours year studying Art History at the University of Auckland. I have been the Gallery Shop Co-ordinator since January this year, and it has been the perfect role for me while I complete my Masters in Art History.

​How would you describe the shop?​Quality not quantity is definitely something that comes to mind! Although we are a small space, the Gallery Shop has a carefully curated range of unique ceramic, glass and textile art pieces. We also have an excellent range of jewellery, books, magazines and cards that make us the perfect space to find a inimitable gift, or a special piece for your own collection. I like to think of the shop as its own gallery space, made better with a more approachable price range than you would find in other art galleries. Do you have a strict rule about only selling handmade NZ products?We absolutely have a focus on stocking handmade pieces by New Zealand artists in keeping with our outlook as a Gallery Shop – although like anything, there are a few exceptions like our popular Seedling art packs that children absolutely love. As a general rule, I make sure everything we stock is in keeping with our position as a place that houses a unique and unconventional range of items that cater to a wide range of tastes and creatives.Where do you think the future of retail is heading in general? I think that although there are so many mass–produced products and consumerist driven companies accessible to us both online and in our communities, there is a growing appreciation for rarity and the hand-crafted element of the stock that we have in the Gallery Shop. In the future, I think (and hope) that this value for individual creativity and support for local artists will continue to grow and take precedence over the popularity of large, international retail outlets.Can you name some of your favourite designers and or products that you stock?The more I am surrounded by all the pieces in the shop and understand the complexity of how each item is made, the harder this is to answer! Some of my favourites are definitely our Love Winter jewellery range by Delwynne Winter, Isaac Katzoff’s Glassform sculptures and of course our Smitten Textile Design cushions by you Katie!Describe your shop in 3 wordsLuminous, tailored and quaintWhat do you like the most about working at CEAC?I absolutely love the sense of history and community that runs through the whole of the Estate as an arts centre. The fact that the shop is located within the Gallery space in the old Corban Homestead gives the shop a very personal feel and a relaxed vibe that is fantastic and calming to work in.-----------------------------------------------------------------CEAC gallery shop is open daily 10 - 4.30pm. They also offer free gift wrapping. These photos offer a small glimpse as to whats on offer.​Check the website for more info www.ceac.org.nz or www.facebook.com/Corban.Estate/ Time your visit when the Cafe is open, as you won't be disapointed with their coffee! (Coffee Studio, Tues - Sat 10 - 4.30)

Enjoy, Katie, x

P.S if you want to get our next blog directly in your inbox, hit subscribe below.

​Carrying on with the theme: Spaces and Places,
This month, I've been talking to the lovely Ella Pairman, from Coexist, www.coexist.co.nz

Coexist is a shop + workshop, nestled amongst the small boutique stores at Victoria Park Market, an area of Auckland that has been undergoing some interesting changes.
​
​​Ella and her business Partner Xi have created a unique space that is refreshingly slick and understated, while at the same time oozes warmth and personality in the clusters of carefully curated objects they sell. Take a peak at them here: www.facebook.com/coexistgallery/

Hi Ella, how would you describe your business?
​Coexist is a small eco-conscious homeware and jewellery store. All our products are made in New Zealand by either myself, Xi (the other half of Coexist) or one of our lovely New Zealand artisans. We focus on products made from reclaimed, upcycled or environmentally friendly materials. Our workshop takes up about half of the Coexist shop so that people can come in any time and see our products being made. ​​

It is an interesting space in the Old Vic Park Market. How are you finding it? what attracted you to the area?
​
​Yes, not being originally from Auckland I never experienced the old Vic Park Market.I was drawn to the idea behind this space. The new owner of VPM is bringing in all New Zealand Made and New Zealand Designed stores.The feeling of the space is fantastic with its old brickwork, concrete floors and little alleyways and we also loved the idea of being surrounded by other creatives.​In that way it has worked out wonderfully, the spaces aren’t all filled yet, but there are new places opening monthly and the atmosphere between all the stores is really supportive and of course there is a ton of creative energy when you stick us all together.

Describe your shop in 3 words ​Handmade, Local, Eco-Conscious

​Where do you think the future of retail is heading in general? We feel that people are moving away from the mass produced low quality products that have flooded into our lives and shops. We are seeing more and more people wanting to buy a few quality items that are beautiful, special and will last, rather than a quantity of low quality pieces that won’t last and have no sentimental value to them. Our customers really value being able to support local artists and artisans and being able to work with us to develop specially designed pieces just for them.

​Is it a challenge to be a maker and shop owner rolled into one? Most of the time it’s not. I love chatting with people about what I’m working on, and I think people appreciate being able to see the work in progress.

The only real difficulty is running errands. I can’t just pop out if I break my last saw blade and grab a new one.
So in that way I need to be more organised than when I was working from home, but generally speaking I find it easier than working from home. Personally having my work and living spaces separate is better all round.
​Otherwise I find it pretty hard to either stop or start working!

Where do you find inspiration?
​I’ve always really loved the work of jewellers Barry Clarke and Anne Culy. I studied Fine Arts so I have also been influenced by a range of painters, sculptor’s photographers and designers.
​I always jump at the chance to visit the Auckland art galleries for inspiration and particularly enjoy the works of Bill Hammond, Francis Upritchard and Rohan Wealleans.
​The other fantastic part of working in the shop is the conversations I can have with our customers. We often get people stopping in to talk about our workshop and I get a lot of my inspiration just from these discussions.

I think it’s always really beneficial to talk to other people about your work as everyone brings a different view point which can help you see your practice from a whole new angle. ​​​
-------------------------------------------------------------------So, I reckon Coexist is a very worthy place to visit! If you are out of Auckland, you can visit their website online store www.coexist.co.nz instead.​I was chuffed with Ellas choice of colours for the handprinted cushions and loved making these especially for the shop. They sit so perfectly with the jewellery, leather goods, artworks and hand crafted wooden objects.
You're gonna want it all!
Now, I cant wait to share next months special store/story, keep tuned in.

So much goes on behind the scenes at Smitten HQ and I have not shared any news for quite some time. So…time to start sharing a regular blog!

I'm going to cover a range of topics every month on the subjects of textiles, art and design and include the makers, creators, shapers and facilitators. I will be posting this onto my Smitten Design Textiles Facebook page. However, If you would prefer to receive my quarterly newsletter with a link to the blogs then hit the subscribe button below.

​To get the ball rolling I'm going to kick off the next few weeks with the theme Spaces and Places.
​
I want to share with you some of the unique spaces and places, bricks and mortar stores, that stock my textiles amongst other gorgeous products and dig a little deeper to find out what and who make these places so distinct.
​

Blue Scarlet sell bespoke furniture, soft furnishings, homewares, art, jewellery, and other selected colourful pieces. They also offer a full interior design service.​Lou is not afraid to celebrate colour, and seeing some of my cushions alongside Tiff Manuell clutches and a sofa (called Plum Saucy) made me feel in rather good company! You can follow Lou on Facebook to get a regular dose of eye candy. www.facebook.com/bluescarlet

Plum Saucy Chaise Lounge

​Blue Scarlet shares a space with two other business friends, Bella Bean Vintage and Little One.This threesome have created a rather good looking treasure filled shop of gorgeous vibrant colours and textures, with a common thread between them of cherishing textiles. Bella Beans vintage clothing is hung in clusters of harmonious hues and each garment is a gem. Blue Scarlet displays bright pops of bespoke furniture, combined with her carefully curated colourful homewares and accessories. Little One's upcycled children's clothes cater for a range of ages with styles to melt the heart.
​

Shop 3, The Tannery

SameSame but different

Who:Blue ScarletWhere:Shop 3, The Tannery, Woolston, Christchurch.

Describe your business? I am an Interior Designer with a passion for colour and that's what I sell - colour

Describe you shop in 3 words - colourful, eclective, unique

Where do you find inspiration? I am lucky to have a great group of creative friends so I draw inspiration from them, and from people in general really. People watching is a great source - looking at what people are wearing; the colours and styles they've put together - if and how it works. Ideas wise the good old internet is a great place but I never want to copy - you can't help but have similar tastes and ideas to someone but (to quote a reality tv cliché) - you have to make it your own

Where do you think the future of retail is heading?I think that more people are beginning to understand the importance of buying and supporting local businesses, but in order to compete with the big guys in some cases we need to join forces - as myself, BellaBean Vintage and Little One have done - when you have a shared space you obviously share the associated costs. Physically I think retail will always exist as leaving the house, having a coffee and shopping is all part of the experience. But we also need to cater for on-line shopping too
​Who are your favourite designers? Interior Designer Alex Fulton pushes the boundaries and thinks outside the box - and I think is always successful - I think more kiwi designers need to create their own vibe and Alex certainly does this. I also think Glenn Jones Graphic Designer and Illustrator is very clever - his designs are more than just pictures - they're well thought out nostalgic salutes to Kiwiana.

I was lucky enough to visit Lou’s store on my winter holiday in the South Island. For those of you who know the Tannery in Christchurch, you will know it’s a pretty good place. For those who have not visited yet, you should!
​http://thetannery.co.nz/
​It is a significant and impressive historical site that has been slowly and meticulously brought back to a new life with great perfection. The Tannery is home to a haven of design stores and cafes. The mix of retail experiences is a delight from beginning to end. Some of my favorite shops were Bolt of Cloth, The Fabric Store, Hapa, Teepee, Smiths Bookshop and of course , goes with out saying Lou's Shop! ​

THE INKSPOT

Earlier in the year, I had so much fun running a workshop as part of the Auckland's Arts Festival - Family Day. The 'inkspot' was a collaboration with Howick College art student's. We carved a huge assortment of print blocks focusing on the theme of patterns of identity. This was a free event, where participants could all take away there own printed bags or squares of calico.

KIDS ARTS FESTIVAL AT CORBAN'S

I really enjoyed being part of the very successful 2016 Kids Arts Festival event held at Corban's Estate Arts Centre. The theme this year was 70's flashback! So I got to help hundreds of kids Tie dye 100's of T-shirts. It was one of the busiest days I've ever had in my life! I was so grateful for my awesome volunteers. And the staff at Corban's are amazing at pulling such a huge event together. I was too busy to take any decent pics darn it! More on CEAC's facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Corban.Estate/posts/1272917726069284

Alongside growing my printed textiles and homeware business, I have also been doing a heap of teaching! I love the opportunity to share my passion for textiles in print design and each year I run workshops for adults and children. To see what I offer throughout the year, I have set up a Smitten Design Workshops Facebook page. If you, or anyone you know is interested in a textile printing workshop, then follow me here. I have some exciting things planned for 2016 including boutique workshops in print design, stenciling, block printing and screen-printing. https://www.facebook.com/SmittenDesignWorkshops/

I'm going to be at two markets this year in the lead up to Xmas, Both well worth the visit - The General Collective Market and The Auckland Fair offer a curated selection of high quality NZ handmade products. Hope to see you there! x